


Quantico

by FloatYourBoat21



Category: Glee
Genre: Behavioral Analysis Unit (Criminal Minds), F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:40:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27155347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FloatYourBoat21/pseuds/FloatYourBoat21
Summary: Santana Lopez is a highly trained profiler, assigned to the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. As she works in perfect harmony with the other members of her team to catch the most dangerous serial killers in the US, she also struggles with her deeper feelings for Communications Liaison Brittany Pierce. Can she keep herself in check? AU Brittana/Criminal Minds-style story.
Relationships: Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 10
Kudos: 21





	1. Secrets Don't Make Friends

**Author's Note:**

> For Naya.

_“ **The only thing worse than being blind is having sight, but no vision**.”_

_\- Helen Keller_

* * *

"Lopez... Pierce... in my office, _NOW!_ " Assistant Director Sylvester yells down to the two agents currently enjoying their morning coffee with the rest of their team in the bullpen. 

As the blonde and the brunette shoot questioning glances at each other, the rest of the team whispers amongst themselves, trying to decipher the rare appearance of their boss. Both women then slowly make their way upstairs towards the director's office. Once they finally arrive, the Latina agent steps aside to allow the Communications Liaison to enter first. 

"Ladies..." Director Sylvester greets. 

"Ma'am..." both women reply. 

"I'm sure you're wondering why I've asked you both here," the older blonde begins. Both women slightly nod their heads, waiting for their boss to continue. "It has recently come to my attention that there may be something going on between the two of you… Care to explain?"

"I'm not sure what you're referring to, ma'am," Agent Santana Lopez states confusedly. Agent Brittany Pierce just shakes her head, feeling just as lost in this conversation. 

"I've been hearing a lot of chatter about how _close_ the two of you are," the director continues. "I can't say that I haven't noticed your close interactions as well. You both know that we have a very strict policy on fraternization."

"Ma'am, if I may..." the blonde states, asking for permission to continue. She receives a slight head nod from their boss. "I'm not sure what exactly it is that you've heard, but I assure you that nothing is going on between us. I'm very close to everyone on our team, but I will say that I am closest to Santana... I mean, Agent Lopez."

"Is this the case, Agent Lopez?" Director Sylvester asks the Latina, watching her carefully with her eyes. 

"Yes ma'am... Agent Pierce and I are _just_ friends," Santana clarifies, sounding slightly dejected to anyone who was really paying attention. "Best friends, actually..."

Director Sylvester takes a moment to study the faces of both women standing before her. After watching them intently, she finally says, "Okay... you can go."

The brunette and the blonde once again exchange confused looks. "That's it?" Santana cautiously asks. 

"Yeah, no third degree or anything?" Brittany adds on. 

"No," the older woman simply states. "You're two of my best agents in the BAU... I have no reason to believe you're being untruthful."

"Thank you, ma'am," both agents say in unison before quickly exiting the director's office. 

As the two agents get further away from their director's office, they both breathe a sigh of relief. 

"Whoa... that was intense," Brittany exclaims. 

"I know right!" Santana responds back. "I mean, I know sometimes we're a little touchy feely, but no more than Puckerman and Fabray are."

"Those two are the worst!" Brittany playfully states. "All of their sexual innuendos... _gross!_ "

"I'm surprised we haven't had to attend a sexual harassment workshop with all of the weird sexual tension they exude," Santana adds in. 

"I mean, _seriously_... what would make anyone think that someone like you would remotely be interested in someone like me?" Brittany wonders out loud. 

Santana looks a bit hurt by the blonde's off-handed comment. She knows that Brittany probably didn't mean anything bad by it, but still... hearing those actual words wasn't appealing. Perhaps because the Latina had a crush on the blonde... a _secret_ crush, that is. 

"Someone like _me_?" The profiler finally questions, halting her movements. Once the blonde doesn't feel the presence of her counterpart beside her, she stops as well. 

"Well, yeah..." Brittany begins to say as she walks back towards Santana's stationary location. "I've seen the countless number of women throw themselves at you and the tons of men that only end up disappointed once they realize that you have _zero_ interest in them," she explains. "You're gorgeous, Santana. You're like a succulent fillet mignon while I on the other hand… I'm like Spam that's still in the can."

Santana can't help the giggle that escapes from her lips that she was trying so hard to hold back. She also feels her heart flutter a little from the blonde's compliment. 

"Hey!" Brittany says, slapping the Latina's arm whilst giggling to herself.

"C'mon... _Spam_?! How can you expect me _not_ to laugh," Santana replies incredulously. "You're far from some disgusting canned meat, Britt; if anyone's a filet... it's _you_."

Brittany opens her mouth to interject, but doesn't get a chance to. 

"I guess we should get to work," Santana says, quickly hoping to change the subject. "I've got a lot of reports to catch up on."

"Yeah... same here," the blonde replies, letting her co-worker's compliment hang in the air. 

Santana then walks Brittany to her office before throwing her a 'see ya later' as she turned around to make her way to her desk downstairs in the bullpen. 

"So... what was that all about?" Santana's partner Noah Puckerman asks. 

"Sylvester asked us if we were 'involved'," Santana answers. "Apparently they have been some rumors going around."

"No shit..." Puckerman responds. "I'm surprised she hasn't dragged me and Quinn in there. 

"That's what I said!" Santana exclaims. Both agents share a laugh. "Anyways, we told her that we were just friends and that was it."

"Are you _okay_?" Puckerman softly asks, knowing about his partner's 'secret' crush on the communication liaison. 

"Yeah... I'm good," the Latina says as convincingly as possible. She was good at compartmentalizing... a great skill to possess in her line of work. "It's not like I was ever gonna act on it. Let's just get to work, okay?" Santana silently pleads. 

"Yeah... okay," Puckerman concedes. 

* * *

Several hours later and a dozen of finished reports later, the profiling duo receives an unscheduled visit from their very vibrant co-worker. 

"Hello, my Jewish Adonis!" Tech Analyst Quinn Fabray says to Puckerman. 

"What's up, Baby Girl?" The male smugly replies back. 

"Oh, nothing... just needed to escape my cave," Fabray flirtatiously says back. " _Santana_... can I just say that red is _definitely_ a good color on you," she finishes with a wink. 

"Ya know, Quinn... if you keep checking out the menu, _eventually_ your gonna have to order something," the Latina playfully flirts back with a wink of her own. 

" _Whoa_... am I interrupting something here?" Brittany's voice appears out of nowhere. 

"Oh, hey Britt... I didn't see ya there," Santana nervously chuckles out. 

"Damn, B... it was just getting good over here," Puckmerman whines. 

"Aww... poor baby," Fabray teases him. "Don't you worry... after work, we'll go find you a fine piece of ass to take home."

"See... this is why I love you!" The Jewish man says as he gives Fabray a quick peck on the cheek. "Who else is in?"

"Watching Puck get shot down by lots of women... yeah, that sounds like fun," Santana cattily replies. 

"Watch it, _Lopez_..." Puckerman warns. "I bet I'll get more numbers than you do."

"Oh, _Puckerman_... that's because you try entirely too hard," Santana retorts. "All I have to do is sit at the bar and ladies practically throw themselves at me," she states as she flutters her eyelashes at her partner. 

Although Santana knew that she was fairly attractive - _and that her previous comment wasn't far from the truth_ \- she was more of a one-woman kind of girl. Sure, she could go home with a different chick every night like her partner sometimes did, but that wasn't her style. However, she knew how much her co-workers enjoyed her playful banter with the resident Casanova of the group. Plus, she appreciated Puck making a point to help her feel a little better about herself, given their present company. 

"What's this about going out tonight?" Finn Hudson, the senior profiler of their group chimes in. 

"Hudson, my man!" Puck says as he hi-fives the older man. "He's in... who else?"

"Well, that depends..." Dr. Artie Abrams, the youngest member of their group quietly states in the background. "You guys aren't gonna be out super late, are you?"

"Don't worry, Boy Wonder... we'll get you home at a decent hour," Puckerman says as he locks the genius in a playful headlock. "You think Schue will come?"

"I'll ask him, but probably not," Hudson answers. "What about you Blondie?"

"Uh, yeah... sure," Brittany hesitates. "I'll come out for a little bit. I guess I should head back up and finish my paperwork then," she says, using a similar excuse that the Latina did earlier. 

"Then it's settled!" Puck exclaims. 

* * *

Less than an hour later, the team is putting the finishing touches on their reports and packing up to enjoy their weekend. As the rest of the gang head towards the elevator, Santana pops her head into Brittany's office to check on her progress. 

"Are you ready to go?" The profiler asks. 

"Just about," the blonde replies. "You don't have to wait for me though... I'll just meet you guys there."

"Are you sure? I don't mind waiting," Santana insists. 

"Yeah... I _definitely_ wouldn't want you to keep the ladies waiting," Brittany says playfully with a smile that doesn't quite meet her eyes. 

"Okay... I guess I'll see ya whenever you get there," Santana solemnly replies. 

Just as Santana turns around and takes a few steps away from the liaison's door, she stops herself. There had been something plaguing on her mind all day since the impromptu meeting with Sylvester earlier. 

Once the Latina finally makes up her mind, she turns around and positions herself in the doorway of Brittany's office. 

"Hey, Britt..." she says, gaining the blonde's attention. 

"Yeah, San?"

The profiler loses her train of thought momentarily, enjoying the nickname that she only allowed the blue-eyed woman to use. 

"You are the most beautiful and intriguing woman that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. But you're so much more than just another pretty face," Santana starts out, trying to find the courage to finish. "You're smart and funny and kind and loyal… you have an amazing personality and you're an incredible friend," she continues. "I could only be so lucky to be able to call someone like you my girlfriend. But, I'm not foolish enough to believe that _that_ would ever happen."

Santana pauses, unsure if she should go on. Brittany hasn't said anything and her facial expression has remained pretty stoic throughout the Latina's rambling. 

"If it wasn't for these damn rules - _or the fact that you were straight and not interested in me like that_ \- then maybe I would make a move cuz _I_ am _very_ interested in _you_ ," the profiler confesses. "However, I would never do anything to make you feel uncomfortable or possibly jeopardize our friendship or our jobs. I just thought you deserved to know..."

And with one final look at Brittany, Santana quickly turns on her heel and hauls ass towards the elevator before the blonde can respond. As the brunette mentally curses herself for saying anything in the first place, Brittany continues to sit at her desk with her jaw hanging in mid-air. 

Needless to say... the Communications Liaison was definitely not expecting that. 

* * *

"Lopez! Why the hell are you over here drinkin' by yourself?" Puck wonders as he takes the vacant seat next to her. "Even Artie is out there on the dance floor."

_It was true_... 

Ever since Santana had arrived at the club nearly 30 minutes ago, she had been pretty anti-social. It's not that she didn't want to enjoy a fun and usually rare evening out with her friends away from the workplace, but she couldn't stop thinking about her last interaction with Brittany. 

"Another please," the Latina ignores her partner's question in favor of getting the bartender's attention. Once he sets down another shot of vodka, the profiler wastes no time throwing it back and then chasing it with the rest of her beer. 

"Whoa... slow down there Princess," Noah says concerned. He knew that his partner was no lightweight, but clearly something was off. "What's going on?"

"Ya know... I'm fluent in 5 different languages, but I'm actually fucking retarded," Santana mumbles out. 

"Yeah... I'm gonna need a little more than that," her partner replies, hoping that he doesn't have to pull out her hair just to get her to open up. 

"I told her... _sort of_ ," the Latina says very vaguely. 

"You told who what?" Noah inquires. 

" _Her_..." Santana simply states, nodding her head towards the end of the bar. 

Once Puck follows her line of view, he notices the two blondes laughing animatedly about something. For a brief moment, he catches Brittany's eye until she immediately looks away and dives back into her conversation with Quinn. 

As Noah slowly turns his head back towards his partner, it finally clicks. "You told Brittany you like her?" He asks for clarification. 

"In so many words," the Latina replies. 

"Okay... what were the _exact_ words?" Noah asks more directly. 

"I basically told her that she was fucking beautiful, that I was interested in her, and that I would be honored to call her my girlfriend," Santana quickly spits out. Once she sees Puck's eyes double in size from her admission, she adds in, "but I know that she's straight and my feelings aren't something I would ever act on... for obvious reasons."

"Well... fuck me running! You've got some balls, Lopez!" Puck says proudly. "So, what did she say?"

"She didn't say anything, probably cuz I didn't give her a chance to," Santana responds. Once she sees the confused look on her partner's face, she continues. "After I said all of that stuff, I basically hauled ass out of there and ordered my first drink as soon as I got here."

"That's understandable," Puck agrees. "So... are you gonna talk to her?"

"And say what exactly?" Santana questions. "I can't tell her I didn't mean it; she may not be a profiler, but she knows when I'm lying."

"True, but you're gonna have to talk about it at some point."

"I know, I just don't want things to get awkward between us just cuz I couldn't keep my big mouth shut," the profiler chastises herself. "What about the next time we go away for a case... there's no way she's gonna want to share a room with me after knowing I have feelings for her. I just ruined everything!"

"Hey, c'mere..." Noah says sympathetically as he brings his partner into his side. "Everything's gonna be alright. Brittany is your best friend and you know she isn't like that. Everything will go back to normal once you guys finally clear the air."

"I hope so..." Santana says a little less frantic than her previous rant. "You're a really good friend, Noah... y'know, when you're not trying to get into some chicks' pants."

Puck looks slightly offended until he hears a light chuckle emitting from the Latina. "You're an ass... I'm trying to be sentimental here," the man replies as he playfully pushes his partner off of him. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

As Santana and Noah exchanged light conversation, they fail to notice the intense stare coming from the Communications Liaison at the other end of the bar. Brittany had been watching the close interaction between the two profilers and knew nothing romantic was going on between them; however, something about seeing the resident Casanova comforting _her_ best friend - _especially after the Latina's confession that took place barely an hour ago_ \- didn't sit well with her. 

"Brittany! Are you even listening to me?" The tech analyst says slightly frustrated, seeing that she had been trying to get the blonde's attention for the past minute. 

"What? Oh sorry... what were you saying Quinn?"

"What has got you so distracted?" The other blonde asks rather intrigued. 

"Nothing... it must be the alcohol," Brittany replies, not so convincingly. 

" _Puh-lease_... we both know there's no alcohol in that drink," Fabray says knowingly. "What's going on, Sugar Plum?"

Instead of responding to her friend, Brittany looks down and takes another sip of her virgin margarita. Sensing her unwillingness to open up, Quinn looks down the bar for answers and that's when she spots the two profilers. 

" _Hmm_... this wouldn't have anything to do with the smokin' hot Latina sitting at the bar, would it?" Fabray says suggestively. 

Quinn had long suspected a physical attraction between the blonde and the brunette, but never had she commented on it before... at least not to either of them. Her and Noah often have private discussions about what a great couple the profiler and liaison would make, but neither of them would dare bring it up to either party. Quinn knew about Santana's feelings for the blue-eyed woman because _of course_ , she's all-knowing; however, she didn't know for sure if those feelings were reciprocated... she just had a very strong hunch. 

Before the tech analyst could question Brittany any further or comment on how red her friend's face had become, she felt a vibration coming from her purse. As she retrieved her phone from her bag, she notices Brittany grabbing her phone from her pocket. 

"Aww shucks, saved by the mass text Blondie..." Quinn playfully comments as she makes her way towards the group. Brittany follows suit. 

"Looks like the fun is over... we've got a case," Puckerman addresses the group as he re-reads the mass text from his unit chief. 

"Okay, who's driving... cuz I know I can't," Hudson slightly slurs out. 

"Yeah... even if I wasn't a profiler, I think we all could've figured that one out," Santana chuckles out. The rest of the team joins in, but once the Latina sees her best friend trying extremely hard to avoid eye contact with her, her smile fades. "Noah's only had one beer so Finn, you can ride with us."

"I haven't had anything to drink so the girls can ride with me," the boy genius says. Santana releases a deep breath that she didn't know she had been holding. 

"Alright, let's close our tabs and get some coffee before going in," Noah says, taking charge of the group. 

"This is going to be a long case..." Santana mumbles out, realizing that in the very near future, she would be in very close quarters with the blonde.


	2. Maybe I'm Crazy

_**“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”** _

_\- Albert Einstein_

* * *

The ride back to headquarters was quite unsettling for both Brittany and Santana. While the Latina was working on sobering up before she saw the team's fearless leader, the blonde was lost in thought thinking about everything the profiler had said to her throughout the day. 

Once arriving at the FBI field office, each member of the team silently made their way into the conference room where their Unit Chief, William Schuester, was awaiting. Santana uncharacteristically takes a seat in between Puck and Abrams. Brittany immediately notices, but doesn't take offense, seeing that she felt it was too soon to be in such close quarters with the profiler. 

"Hey guys... sorry to pull everyone away from their weekend so soon," he genuinely states. "There's been a rash of homicides in New York."

As Schue begins to pass out a copy of the case file to each member of the team, Fabray queues up the projection screen, displaying the faces of three unknown females. 

"Rachel Berry, Tina Cohen-Chang, and Mercedes Jones were all brutally murdered within the past few months," Quinn states. "It appears all of these women were already dead before being placed on fire."

" _Oh my God!_ " Brittany exclaims as photographs of the various crime scenes are displayed on the screen, including the ones of their burnt corpses. No matter how many psychopaths the team catches, seeing the capability of what some people are willing to do to others never got easier for the blonde. Santana catches Brittany's eye and gives her a sympathetic smile. 

"Obviously these women have been linked together by the way they were killed, but what connects them?" Hudson questions. 

"They all appear to be in their mid-late 20s, but they're all different races and body types," Puckerman adds in. "What do they do for a living?"

"Both Ms. Berry and Ms. Cohen-Chang were actors, mainly Broadway productions, while Ms. Jones was an up and coming musician," Schue states. 

"The autopsy report shows that Ms. Berry was the only one to suffer blunt force trauma," Santana says. "She also appeared to be the only one of the three that was strangled and had her vocal chords ripped out. Seems like the UnSub had a lot of aggression towards her."

"Yes... that’s probably why Ms. Berry was the first victim," Schue begins to say. "The police believe that her murder was possibly an accident that turned into a crime of passion. With the other two vics, the UnSub shows much more restraint and control."

"Out of the three of them, Ms. Jones looks like she suffered the least," Brittany chimes in, commenting on the photos that show burn marks on only 50% of her body. 

"From the looks of it, the UnSub was interrupted and didn't get to see his final masterpiece," Abrams states. "Based on the initial report, Ms. Jones' fiancé found her body only a couple of hours ago."

"What was the cause of death in each case?" Hudson ponders. 

"Based on the petechial hemorrhaging, Ms. Berry died from manual strangulation. Her vocal chords were cut out postmortem," Schue clarifies. "Ms. Cohen-Chang suffered a deep laceration to her carotid artery, causing her to bleed out; the knife was still in her throat when her body was found," he continues. "As far as Ms. Jones... we'll have to wait for the preliminary exam to determine her COD."

"How were they able to link Ms. Jones to the other vics then?" Puck questions. "The other two were involved in Broadway so how does she fit in?"

"Maybe the fire has significance to the UnSub," Abrams suggests. "As far as we know right now, all of the vics were dead or at least incapacitated in some way before being set on fire. The M.E. found traces of GHB in Ms. Cohen-Chang’s system."

"For Ms. Jones' sake, hopefully she was already dead..." Santana adds in. "I can't imagine still being alive and feeling your flesh burning and not being able to do anything about it."

As Santana looks down at the table with a mix of disgust, hurt, and anger, Brittany briefly stares at her. It's not often that the Latina lets her walls down and comments about how sick some people are. But... just as quickly as one brick comes down from her wall, it quickly gets replaced by a new one once Santana looks up and catches the blonde looking at her. 

"I agree, that's why they need us on the ground ASAP before the UnSub strikes again," Schue reiterates. "Puckerman... you and Lopez will go to the latest crime scene and speak to Ms. Jones' fiancé; Hudson and Abrams... you'll go to the Eugene O'Neill theatre and re-interview the co-workers of the second victim," he continues. "Brittany and I will be at the precinct setting up the command post and going over all of the evidence. Wheels up in 30."

* * *

After a short flight, each team arrives at their respective locations. 

Once Puck and Santana arrive at the latest crime scene, they speak with the officers on scene to get caught up. 

"Detective Hollis," one of the men say as they shake both agents' hands. "Thank you guys for coming on such short notice."

"That's no problem at all; we're happy to help," Puck states sincerely. "This is Agent Lopez and I'm Agent Puckerman. What've we got?"

As Detective Hollis advises the FBI agents on everything they've gathered so far, Santana observes a distraught male sitting at the end of the hallway with his head buried in his hands. Once Det. Hollis informs them that the male is Ms. Jones' fiancé, the Latina makes her way to his location. 

"Mr. Evans?" Santana says softly, not wanting to startle the broken man. "My name is Santana Lopez and I'm with the FBI. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Sam... you can call me Sam," the blonde-haired man says as he wipes away the residual tears from his face. 

"Okay then, _Sam_... can you tell me what happened?" Santana asks. 

"I was coming over to surprise Mercedes..." Sam begins. "When I got here, I noticed that there was smoke coming out from under the door. I tried to open it, but the handle was too hot."

Sam then proceeds to tell Santana how he managed to break the door down and found Mercedes' body in the living room. By the time he reached her, her face and chest were severely burnt. Sam was able to locate the fire extinguisher and put out the fire before it spread more into the apartment. 

"That was very brave and also _incredibly_ stupid of you, Sam... you could've easily hurt yourself," Santana seriously states. 

"I guess I wasn't really thinking. All I knew is that I had to find her, but I was too late..." Sam says as he begins to sob again. "I wasn't being brave... people do stupid things when they're in love."

Santana lays a comforting hand on the blonde man's shoulder and gives him a sympathetic smile. 

"Earlier you said that you were coming over to surprise Mercedes... what was the occasion, if you don't mind me asking," the Latina ponders. 

"I've been in London on a photo shoot for the past few days... I'm a model," he explains. "Anyways, I wasn't supposed to be back till Monday, but I couldn't wait to see Mercedes so I took the red-eye."

"That was really sweet of you," Santana comments. "Well... I think that's all of the questions we have for right now. I'm _so_ sorry for your loss."

As Santana turns around to make her way back towards her partner, the blonde gains her attention again. 

"Agent Lopez... you're gonna find whoever did this, right?" Sam hopefully asks as his eyes begin to water again. 

"I'm gonna do everything in my power to catch this sick son of a bitch," Santana sincerely replies before walking away from the shattered man. 

* * *

Once the rest of the team arrives at the police station, they confer with each other to sort through any new information they may have ascertained. 

"Everyone... this is Lieutenant Shannon Beiste," Schue states, introducing the woman standing to his left, who happened to be an old friend of his. "Lt. Beiste... this is SSA Hudson, SSA Puckerman, SSA Lopez, and Dr. Abrams."

"It's nice to meet you guys," Lt. Beiste says as she shakes each person's hand. "I was just telling Will and Agent Pierce how grateful we are that you guys could come on such short notice."

"Alright... let's see what my team found out in the field."

"We re-interviewed all of Ms. Cohen-Chang's co-workers from the show," Hudson begins. "Besides that, none of them really had anything new to add and no one was familiar with the Jones subject. However, we did establish a connection with Ms. Berry."

"Yeah... apparently Ms. Cohen-Chang was the understudy for Ms. Berry in _Spring Awakening_ last year. When Ms. Berry opted not to reprise her role this year, Ms. Cohen-Chang was the first in line to replace her," Dr. Abrams adds in. "Everyone was very familiar with Ms. Berry and some of them even got to work with her in the past. They raved about her talent, but most of them said that Ms. Berry could be a 'pain in the ass' to work with," he continues. 

"That might explain why Berry was the first vic," Puck contemplates. "Maybe she pissed off the wrong person and they didn't take too kindly to that..."

"And maybe Tina did the same thing and ultimately met the same fate," Santana states. 

"What's even more interesting is that not even two weeks after Ms. Cohen-Chang's death, the male lead of the musical had to drop out due to injury," Abrams adds in. 

"What kind of injury?" Schue questions. 

"A broken ankle," Hudson responds. "Apparently he got jumped when leaving a bar."

"That sounds a little too coincidental, especially right after the female lead has to be replaced unexpectantly," Santana chimes in. 

"I agree," Brittany states, shooting the Latina a small smile. "Who replaced Tina anyways?"

"Some girl named Marley Rose," Agent Hudson replies. "Apparently she's an up and comer too."

"Okay... so what are you guys thinking?" Lt. Beiste asks. 

"The UnSub is someone whom is very familiar with the Broadway scene," Puck starts off. "More than likely they knew the victims well, which would explain why there were no signs of forced entry at any of the crime scenes."

"Ms. Jones' fiancé advised that she didn't personally know Ms. Berry or Ms. Cohen-Chang, so we're still missing a connection there," Santana says. 

"Let's get Fabray on the horn and see if she's had any luck," Schue states. 

Puck then hits the speed dial on his phone and waits for the other line to pick up. "Fabray... you're on speaker phone."

" _This is the Goddess of All Knowledge... speak and be spoken to_ ," Quinn replies with her eccentric sense of humor. 

"Fabray... have you been able to find a connection to all three vics yet?" Schue questions. 

" _No sir... I've checked where each of the victims grew up, went to school, and their previous employment, but I can't seem to find a connection with Ms. Jones to the other two women_ ," Fabray sadly notes. 

"We're sending you a list of Ms. Berry and Ms. Cohen-Chang's former co-workers... maybe one of them had an axe to grind," Schue states. 

" _I'll run background checks on them ASAP sir_ ," Quinn says. " _Fabray out!_ "

"Alright then... since it's too late to do any further follow-up interviews tonight and we won't know the official COD for Ms. Jones until the morning, let's head to the hotel and get some rest," Schue politely orders. "Because of such short notice, the Bureau was only able to get three rooms for us so we're doubling up. Hudson... you're with me, Puck and Abrams, and of course... Brittany and Lopez."

As Schue lists off the room assignments, both Santana and Brittany have an uneasy feeling overcome them. Once they arrive at the hotel, both women contemplate how to make this situation less awkward. 

"I'll just pay for my own room... that way you don't have to worry about sharing one with me," Santana suggests. 

"Why would you do that?" Brittany ponders curiously. 

"I don't know… I just figured that given everything I told you earlier, you might feel uncomfortable sharing a room with me," the Latina solemnly answers. 

"Santana... I don't feel uncomfortable around you," the blonde states. 

" _Oh_... I guess I just figured as much since you haven't really spoken to me since we left work earlier," Santana reminds. 

"Don't get me wrong... I have been avoiding you," Brittany casually states. Once she sees the hurt look on the profiler's face, she realizes how her statement might've been taken. "But, it's not because I'm uncomfortable. I guess I just needed some time to process everything, y'know? I mean... it's not every day that your best friend tells you that they're interested in you."

"I guess that makes sense..." Santana acknowledges. "So... we're okay?"

"Always," Brittany sincerely says as she brings the Latina into a side hug. Almost immediately, all of the tension leaves Santana's body.

Once everyone makes it to the hotel and checks in, the team says their goodnights to each other and head up to their rooms. 

"Hey… were you planning on taking a shower tonight or in the morning?" Santana wonders. 

"I'll probably just wait until the morning," the liaison replies. 

"Okay... I'll go ahead and take mine now, that way it won't take as long for us to get ready in the morning."

As Santana gathers her sleep clothes, she heads towards the bathroom. Before she has the chance to shut the door, Brittany's voice stops her. 

"San?"

"Yeah, Britt..." the Latina replies as she turns around to give the blonde her full attention. 

"I just wanted to say thank you..." Brittany begins. 

"For what?" Santana questions. 

"For having the courage to actually tell me all that stuff… I know it couldn't have been easy," the blonde elaborates. 

"Yeah... it's no big deal," the brunette nonchalantly replies. 

"But it is..." Brittany interjects. "You're an amazing woman Santana and I appreciate you so much. You are so special to me."

"Brittany... _please_ ," the Latina begs. "Hearing you say all those amazing things isn't really helping with the whole ‘me having feelings for you’ thing."

"I know... I'm sorry," the blonde apologizes. "I'm just so flattered that anybody - _especially you_ \- would think so highly of me."

Santana lets out an exasperated sigh before looking deep into the blonde's cerulean eyes. "I wish that you saw yourself the way I see you every single day. Goodnight, Brittany."

And with that, Santana enters the bathroom and shuts the door behind her, leaving a confused Brittany alone to her own devices. Once Santana finishes her very long shower, she finds the blonde passed out on her bed. 

* * *

The next morning, Santana wakes up and finds that her blonde counterpart is still fast asleep. Seizing the opportunity, the profiler makes her way to the bathroom and begins to get ready for the long day ahead of them. 

Once Brittany finally wakes up, her eyes are still blurry from the restless sleep the previous night. Apparently, she found it very difficult to get a peaceful night of sleep with so many thoughts running through her head and a beautiful Latina lying in the bed next to hers. 

Without checking her surroundings, Brittany goes towards the bathroom and opens the unlocked door. 

" _Son of a bitch!_ " Santana yells as she drops the hair straightener from her hands after being surprised by the blonde's sudden appearance. 

" _Oh my God!_ Santana, I'm so sorry!" Brittany exclaims as she quickly grabs the brunette's right hand and places it under the faucet to allow cold water to run over it. "I didn't know you were in here. I'm so sorry... I didn't even check to see if you were still in bed."

"Relax Pierce... it's probably not even a first degree burn," Santana casually states as she looks at the slight discoloration on her hand. 

All of a sudden, the temperature in the tiny room appears to get 100 degrees hotter once Santana takes a minute to dissect her current situation. 

Santana had only gotten half way dressed before she started straightening her hair, meaning that at this point in time, she stood clad in her dark blue skinny jeans and a black laced bra. What made matters even worse was being in close proximity with blonde she couldn't get out of her head. 

Brittany, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to what was going on around her because she was currently having a staring contest with her best friend's boobs. 

" _Brittany_..." the Latina says a little breathlessly, "you should probably stop doing that."

"Doing what?" 

" _Touching_ me..." Santana whispers out. 

Once Brittany is finally able to take her eyes away from the Latina's voluptuous twins, she realizes that she had been subconsciously stroking her thumb over Santana's hand that was under the faucet, unaware of the fire she was stirring inside of the other woman. 

" _Oh_ , sorry..." Brittany says as she quickly detaches her hand from the profiler's. "I didn't realize I was doing that… I guess I’m just used to being close to you."

"It's okay..." Santana assures. "I think my hand is okay now so I'm just gonna go finish getting ready out there."

The Latina quickly grabs her belongings and exits the bathroom, once again leaving the liaison alone with her thoughts. What she didn't know was that as she finished getting dress on the other side of the door, Brittany was feeling just as hot and bothered by their little moment. 

" _Holy shit_..." the blonde thinks out loud as she splashes cold water onto her face in an attempt to cool herself off. "I didn't see that coming."


	3. Not Always As It Seems

**_“The probability of a certain set of circumstances coming together in a meaningful (or tragic) way is so low that it simply cannot be considered mere coincidence.”_ **

_– V.C. King_

* * *

As Santana quickly finishes getting ready, she heads down to the lobby of the hotel to clear her head. That moment in the bathroom with Brittany was just way too intense for her to think straight. Opting for some sweet relief from some much needed coffee, Santana walks over to the guest area where the continental breakfast is still being served.  
  
"Sup partner," Puck says as he sidles up next to the Latina.  
  
"Hey," she quickly says, not even bothering to look the man.  
  
"Where's Blondie at?"  
  
"How would I know? I'm not Brittany's keeper..." Santana harshly states.  
  
" _Whoa_... what crawled up your ass?" Puck asks, slightly caught off guard by his partner's short temperament. When he doesn't receive a response, he takes a second to look over his partner's features. "Yo, Santana... what's up? Talk to the Puckasaurus."  
  
Santana immediately stops mixing the creamer into her coffee and just looks at the Jewish man. "I thought we talked about that name."  
  
"You're right... my apologies," Noah states. "Seriously though, what's going on?"  
  
"I'm not sure yet..." Santana says as she finishes making her coffee and an extra one. She then moves over to the omelet station. "I think I had a moment with Brittany."  
  
"What kind of moment?" Puck inquires as the two of them sit down.  
  
"That's the part I'm not sure about," the Latina says. "And I definitely don't want to discuss it right now."  
  
"That's cool... I understand," Puckerman states. "But, if you do feel like talking about it later... I'm here."  
  
"I know... thanks Noah," she sincerely says. "I will say this though... the way she was looking at me made me feel like she was finally seeing _me_ , not just her friend or co-worker."  
  
Before Puck has a chance to respond, the blonde in question suddenly appears.  
  
"Hey Noah," the liaison greets the man. "Hey San... you didn't tell me you were leaving."  
  
"Sorry... I figured you were in the shower and I didn't want to disturb you; plus... I had to get my caffeine fix," Santana replies. "I got you these though..." she says as she gestures towards the cup of coffee, bagel, and banana she had collected along with her omelet.  
  
"Thanks, San...." Brittany shyly replies as she takes sip of her coffee. " _Mmm_... just the way I like it."  
  
As Puck observes this cute, but awkward moment between his two friends, he can't help but feel like he's witnessing what should be a private moment.  
  
"Puck, my man..." Hudson says as gives the other man a fist bump.  
  
" _Thank God!_ " Noah mumbles out, silently thanking the Heavens for this interruption. "What's up, Finn?"  
  
"Morning ladies," Finn says as he addresses the other two people sitting at the table.  
  
"Morning Finn," both women say in unison. "Where are the other guys?" Brittany questions.  
  
"I think Schue is on the phone with Lt. Beiste," Hudson begins, "... and I'm pretty sure Artie is telling the chef the origin of where omelets come from."  
  
"That sounds about right," Puck chuckles out.  
  
After Schue finishes his phone call, he meets up with the rest of the team to go over the game plan for the day.  
  
"Good morning guys," he begins. "I just spoke to Lt. Beiste and she advised that the autopsy report is ready. Lopez and Puckerman, go meet with the M.E. and see what they've found."  
  
"Yes, sir," Santana says as she rises from the table.  
  
"Hudson and Abrams... I'd like for you two to make contact with Ms. Berry's last known co-workers and any close friends that may be able to shed some light."  
  
"Actually, sir... if possible, I'd like to follow-up on a possible lead," Dr. Abrams interjects.  
  
"What lead would that be?" Schue questions.  
  
"Well… I was just thinking about how within a short time span, the male and female leads of the same Broadway show had to be replaced due to some unforeseeable event," Dr. Abrams explains. "I'd like to speak with Jake Puckerman - _no relation_ \- and see if he could offer any insights."  
  
"Alright... Abrams, go to the precinct and pull the record of the incident that Mr. Puckerman described. Also, check if there have been any similar incidents around the same area," Schue instructs. "If you find something that might be relevant to our case, have Mr. Puckerman come down to the station," he continues. "Brittany... touch bases with Fabray and see if she's found anything that can link our third victim. I'll be in the field with Hudson."  
  
Once everyone is clear on their assignments, they split up and make their way towards their designated SUVs. Brittany steals one last glance at Santana before she and Abrams head in the opposite direction towards the precinct.  
  
"Hey Brittany, are you okay?" Abrams asks, voicing his concern. "You've been really quiet this morning."  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine Artie..." the blonde assures. "I just have a lot on my mind."  
  
"Often I find that when I have an abundance of things on my mind, I like to do a crossword puzzle or find a nice brain teaser to occupy my mind with," Artie suggests. Brittany just stares at him with her mouth agape. " _Or not_... I was just trying to give you some options."  
  
"Yeah... _thanks?_ " the liaison half questions, half states.  
  


* * *

As Santana and Puck arrive at the medical examiner's office, they exchange pleasantries before getting down to business.  
  
"Dr. Chase, can you tell us what the cause of death was?" Agent Puckerman asks.  
  
"Ms. Jones died from asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation," she replies.  
  
" _Son of a bitch!_ " Santana says under her breath. "So... she was alive when her body was set on fire?"  
  
"I'm afraid so," the doctor sadly confirms.  
  
"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Puck inquires.  
  
"Ms. Jones had high levels of ketamine in her system," Dr. Chase states.  
  
"Ketamine... isn't that like a horse tranquilizer or something?" Santana ponders.  
  
"Yes... many veterinarians used it in their practices as an anesthetic," the doctor informs. "On the street, it's known as 'Special K' and has been used as a date rape drug in the past."  
  
"Doc... how would someone go about getting this drug?" Agent Puckerman asks.  
  
"Outside of being a pharmaceutical company that manufactures it or having a prescription for it, the only other option would be to steal it."  
  
"Okay, thanks for your help," Puck says as he heads towards the door. "I'm gonna call Quinn and see if this info helps narrow down our search."  
  
As Puck exits the room, Santana stays behind, just staring blankly at Mercedes' lifeless body.  
  
"Agent Lopez... are you alright?" Dr. Chase asks.  
  
"I've been doing this for 6, maybe 7 years now..." Santana begins to say in a very monotone voice. "Somehow... it never ceases to amaze me how cruel and evil human beings can be to each other."  
  
"I don't know how you do it, like the aftermath… dealing with the families and such," the doctor says. "Does it ever get any easier?"  
  
"Sadly, no... if anything, you just find a way to cope by becoming cynical or completely desensitizing yourself to the point that you don't feel anything at all."  
  
"Hey, Santana... Schue wants us to check out another location," Puck states as he re-enters the room.  
  
"Okay," the Latina simply replies. "Thanks again, doc."  
  


* * *

**_Meanwhile, back at the precinct..._**  
  
"Hey Artie... did you find out anything interesting about the mugging?" Brittany ponders.  
  
"Actually, yes..." Abrams begins. "After reviewing the case file, I found that the 'mugging' wasn't actually a ‘mugging’ at all."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Nothing was actually taken from Jake," the genius further explains. "According to the report, right after Jake left the bar, he was attacked from behind. No witnesses and no other similar incidents in area."  
  
"That's weird..." the liaison says. "If nothing was taken, then that would mean that the attack on Jake was intentional."  
  
"It seems that way," Artie obliges. "I'm gonna have Jake come in for a follow-up."  
  
"Okay, that sounds good," Brittany states. "Quinn still hasn't found a link to the third vic. Hopefully the guys have had better luck in the field."  
  


* * *

After a brief telephone conversation, Jake Puckerman arrives at the police station to meet with Dr. Abrams.  
  
"Thanks for coming by on such short notice," Artie says as both men take a seat in one of the interview rooms. "I hope you don't mind my partner, Agent Pierce, joining us."  
  
"Not at all," he says acknowledging the blonde. "Besides... it's not like I can really do anything else," Jake solemnly says as he gestures towards the cast covering his right ankle. "I'm not really sure how much help I can be though. Like I said before, I worked with Tina only briefly before she died. I only knew Rachel in passing and I didn't know the other girl at all."  
  
"No, I'm clear on that Mr. Puckerman," Artie clarifies. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you more about how you received that broken ankle."  
  
"There's not really much to tell," Jake begins. "Some asshole jumped me from behind and set my career back for who knows how long after I get this stupid cast off."  
  
"At any point during the attack, did the suspect say anything or did they have a distinct smell about them?" Brittany questions.  
  
"No... I just felt the rage that they had," Jake says. "The guy hit me in the back of the head with something hard... like a rock or something. After I fell to the ground, he went straight to my ankle until I yelled out in pain."  
  
"Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you?" Artie asks.  
  
"I mean... Broadway is very competitive. You barely have time to have a life," Jake sadly says. "I'm sure there are a lot of guys that would love to see me fall, but I can't think of anyone that would have the balls to stoop this low though."  
  
Taking into account what Jake just said and how his facial expression changed slightly while speaking about 'barely having a life', Brittany begins to wonder about some things.   
  
"Has being an up and coming Broadway star ever affected your personal life?" Brittany questions.  
  
Jake silently laughs to himself. " _Yeah_... it has actually," he answers. "You would think dating someone in the biz would make it easier, but I guess some people prefer to have lots of fame and absolutely no life."  
  
"So... your ex is in the biz?"  
  
"Yeah... I believe Dr. Abrams and that other guy met her yesterday," Jake supplies. " _Marley Rose_... she's the star of the show."  
  
" _Interesting_..." Brittany says. "And who replaced you?"  
  
"Ryder Lynn, which is kind of ironic," Jake says in disbelief. As Artie and Brittany both look at him with questioning eyes, he further elaborates. "The kid can sing, but he can't dance for shit. Plus, he's like totally obsessed with Marley."  
  
As the two FBI agents exchange a quick look, Artie dismisses the young dancer.  
  
"Well... I think that's all we need for right now," Dr. Abrams states as he stands from the table. "Thanks again for coming in Mr. Puckerman."  
  
As Jake exits the interview room, the boy genius and the liaison share a thought.  
  
"If this Ryder guy is really 'obsessed' like Jake said, I wonder how far he would go to get the girl he's crazy about," Artie thinks aloud.  
  
"Far enough to cripple said girl's ex-boyfriend/male lead of the play?" Brittany questions. "Or maybe even _kill_ for her? I don’t believe in coincidences."  
  
"I'm gonna go update Schue," Dr. Abrams informs as he exits the room.  
  
Brittany remains seated as she pulls out her cell phone and hits a number on her speed dial.  
  
" _My blonde beauty... I love you to death, but like I told you nearly an hour ago, I haven't found a connection... **yet**_ ," Fabray says as she answers the phone.  
  
"No, Quinn... I wasn't calling about that," the blonde giggles out. "We might actually have a lead."  
  
" _Ooh... now I'm intrigued_ ," Fabray responds. " _Hit me_."  
  
"Find out everything you can on a Ryder Lynn and a Marley Rose," Brittany supplies.  
  
" _Alrighty, will do. I'll give you a shout when I'm done_ ," the tech analyst announces. " _Fabray out!_ "  
  
"Quinn... wait," Brittany says as she gets up to close the door to have more privacy. "Can I talk to you about something?"  
  
" _Yeah, of course... what's up_?"  
  
"You remember how you were giving me a hard time about Santana before we left for New York?" Brittany asks.  
  
" _Yeah... why? Did something happen_?" Quinn eagerly inquires.  
  
"A _lot_ , actually..."  
  
" _ **Ooh**... spill!_"  
  
"Before we got to the bar, Santana _kinda_ told me that she was _interested_ in me..." Brittany hesitantly states.  
  
" ** _Kinda_** … **_interested_** … _**what**?!_” Fabray says in shock. “ _Are you serious?!_ "  
  
"Yes... and I've been _kinda_ freakin' out about it ever since," the blonde elaborates. "It just totally caught me off guard, ya know?"  
  
" _I can understand that_ ," Quinn sympathizes. " _How do you feel about this new revelation_?"  
  
"Honestly, I don't really know..." Brittany answers. "I had no idea she felt that way. No one's ever been so upfront and just put themselves out there like that for me."  
  
" ** _Well_**... _Santana is definitely one of a kind_."  
  
"Yeah, she is…" the blonde agrees. "And well, there was this morning..."  
  
" _I'm listening_."  
  
"This morning we were in the bathroom and—"  
  
" ** _Wait_**... _why were you_ **_both_ **_in the bathroom_?" Quinn questions.  
  
"It's a long story; basically I barged in, unaware that she was already in there... without a shirt on," Brittany explains.  
  
" _This story just keeps getting juicier by the minute_ ," the tech analyst suggestively states.  
  
" _Anyways_... I kinda surprised Santana, which inadvertently made her burn herself," the blonde further details. "And... I don't know... I just felt the _need_ to touch her... and not like in a sexual way," she adds in, knowing that her friend's head was probably heading straight towards the gutter.  
  
" _What happened next_?"  
  
"Well... after I managed to stop staring at her chest - _don't ask_ \- Santana abruptly left. I just... I'm so confused Quinn..."  
  
" _I know sweetie_..." Quinn softly says. " _Maybe you just need to talk to Santana_."  
  
"I know, but I can't right now..." Brittany replies. "I need to stay focused on this case; so does she."  
  
" _You're right. But B... promise me that you will talk to her soon_?"  
  
Brittany pauses for a moment. "I promise."  
  
" _Good girl_ ," the tech says. " _I gotta go. I'll let you guys know once I get something back_."

“Okay… thanks Q,” Brittany replies as she hangs up the phone and places her head against the cool metal of the table, trying to process the endless thoughts running through her head.

_Maybe I should’ve just gone into sales like my mom wanted me to,_ Brittany thinks to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here’s the next installment. Sorry for the limited Brittana interaction, but this chapter was more of a filler to move the story along. Hopefully the next chapter will make up for it. Thanks again for reading!
> 
> Merry Christmas!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Here’s a Brittana story that I have posted on FF, but decided to bring over for your reading enjoyment. If you guys like it, then I'll consider posting some of my other stories. This particular story is set in the Criminal Minds world. For those of you not or somewhat familiar with the show, here’s a list of characters that our resident Glee cast will be portraying: Santana as Prentiss, Brittany as JJ, Puck as Morgan, Quinn as Garcia, Artie as Reid, Finn as Rossi, Mr. Schue as Hotch, and Sue as Strauss. Hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own Glee, Fox, Criminal Minds, CBS, or any of the characters. All mistakes are my own.


End file.
